The Centre’s decision to include caste enumeration in the next national Census marks a sharp departure for the ruling BJP from its previous position. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in 2024 targeted the Congress election manifesto promise of a caste census as a reflection of its ‘urban Naxal’ thinking. During the general election last year, … Read more
Census and caste The Narendra Modi government’s surprise decision to have a caste-based census in the middle of heightened tensions with Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack, and after fiercely opposing such a demand from the Opposition, only highlights the significance of caste dynamics in the electoral framework of Indian democracy. A caste census is … Read more
The President of China, Xi Jinping’s three-nation tour of Southeast Asia (April 14-18, 2025) to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia, had one goal: to pitch Beijing as the only reliable partner of choice. Facing what is at the moment a 145% tariff on Chinese exports imposed by the Trump administration, China is actively recalibrating its external … Read more
Amidst the shock over the Pahalgam terror attack, the resultant diplomatic measures against Pakistan and the likelihood of a military escalation, New Delhi’s attempts to strengthen ties with three of Pakistan’s closest allies may have been missed. But support from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan will be important to building … Read more
In a strong measure against Pakistan, after terrorists from The Resistance Front killed 26 tourists in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, India’s Cabinet Committee on Security decided that “the Indus Waters Treaty [IWT] of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect, until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism”. This … Read more
A view of houseboats on Vembanad Lake in Alappuzha. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Vembanad, the longest lake in India and the largest in Kerala, is gasping for breath. The 96.5 km-long water body spans the districts of Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Ernakulam and forms part of the Vembanad-Kol wetland system, a Ramsar site. Six major … Read more
On May 1, as the world commemorates International Labour Day to honour the dignity of work and workers’ rights, the stories of millions in India trapped in bonded labour cast a dark shadow. In a quiet corner of Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, Mukesh Adivasi, 35, lies on a weathered charpoy, his once-robust frame now frail, his … Read more
; A recent report analysing public funded research and development institutions in India had some pointers that should raise an alarm. In several of the 244 institutions studied, there was a decrease in the number of permanent, scientific staff in 2022-23 compared to the previous year. There were also fewer organisations in 2022-23 compared to … Read more
Even prior to the Trump interlude in the United States, there were enough signs that the world was witnessing uncertainty across many sectors. This was a heralding of problematic conditions in many areas of the globe, and policymakers, strategists and business leaders had begun to prepare for more difficult times ahead. Some did, however, hew … Read more
; State surveillance must be subject to systemic checks and supervision and not mirror the nefarious activities of the dark underworld. As a Supreme Court of India Bench pointed out, the question is not whether the state can use spyware, but who could be its legitimate targets. The Bench, during a hearing on the alleged … Read more